In this review, we will be comparing ESL and R-625FA, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan ESL and Klipsch R-625FA first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan ESL | Klipsch R-625FA |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 8.6x34" curved electrostatic transducer | 1" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" high-excursion paper cone | 2 x 6.5" Copper-spun IMG |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-22k Hz | 38-21k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | up to 100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.14kg / 35.5lbs | 22.20kg / 48.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 53-1/8" x 9-5/16" x 16-1/2"
1350.0 x 237.0 x 420.0mm | 40-3/16" x 9-3/8" x 16-3/4"
1021.0 x 239.0 x 426.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan ESL and Klipsch R-625FA speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
MartinLogan ESL |
Klipsch R-625FA |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Bad |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
Both ESL and R-625FA are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan ESLKlipsch R-625FA
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan ESL |
Klipsch R-625FA |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
8.6x34-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
ESL features a 8.6x34" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 1 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer. On the other hand, the R-625FA features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Copper-spun IMG Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2000Hz.
Frequency Response
ESL has a frequency range of 42-22k Hz whereas R-625FA has a frequency range of 38-21k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R-625FA can go slightly deeper then the ESL's min frequency of 42Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
ESL is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R-625FA which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. ESL sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the R-625FA's is rated at 96 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-625FA a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan ESL, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
ESL can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas R-625FA has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the ESL.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
ESL features Post type posts and R-625FA has a Post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Klipsch R-625FA's Post terminals
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare MartinLogan ESL's and Klipsch R-625FA's external dimensions. MartinLogan ESL has external dimensions of 1350.0 x 237.0 x 420.0mm (53-1/8 x 9-5/16 x 16-1/2inch) whereas Klipsch R-625FA has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 239.0 x 426.0mm (40-3/16 x 9-3/8 x 16-3/4inch).
MartinLogan ESL is 2mm narrower and 6mm less deeper than Klipsch R-625FA but it is also 329mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan ESL and Klipsch R-625FA in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan ESL and Klipsch R-625FA Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the MartinLogan ESL is approximately 995.4cm2 / 154.3inch2 and base area of the Klipsch R-625FA is approximately 1018.1cm2 / 157.8inch2. The ESL requires 2% less surface area than the R-625FA which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The MartinLogan ESL weighs 16.14kg / 35.5lbs and the Klipsch R-625FA weighs 22.20kg / 48.8lbs. This makes the R-625FA 38% heavier than the ESL.
Here is a comparison of how ESL and R-625FA's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of MartinLogan ESL?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ESL:
- Floor-standing hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker
- AC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)
- Cloth grille (installed)
- 4 Pre-installed feet
- Users Manual (En/Fr)
- Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-625FA?
Here are the items that come with the R-625FA:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles (installed)
- 2 Feet
- 4 Screws
- Quick Setup Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Warranty Information
- Loudspeaker Feet note
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
22k Hz
vs
21k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
995cm2
vs
1018cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
96 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Dolby Atmos Drivers |
Built-in 1 x 5.25
vs
No
|
Dolby Atmos Compatibility |
 Height |
1021mm
vs
1350mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL |
Klipsch Reference R-625FA |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
up to 100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
96 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-22k Hz |
38-21k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
high-excursion paper cone |
Copper-spun IMG |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
8.6x34" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
curved electrostatic transducer |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2000Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1350.0mm (53.1") |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
237.0mm (9.3") |
239.0mm (9.4") |
| Depth |
420.0mm (16.5") |
426.0mm (16.8") |
| Weight |
16.14kg (35.5lbs) |
22.20kg (48.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Composite |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Years |
A generation apart: Klipsch R-625FA is the newer design, against a 2011 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Klipsch R-625FA digs deeper - 38Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
Klipsch R-625FA is more sensitive (96dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Klipsch R-625FA is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
A |
MartinLogan ESL takes more power (300W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Klipsch R-625FA is easier to place; MartinLogan ESL is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
B |
Klipsch R-625FA: Atmos drivers. |
A MartinLogan ESL
B Klipsch R-625FA
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Klipsch R-625FA has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan ESL the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Klipsch R-625FA for a small room and a mid-size room. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Klipsch R-625FA is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.